Crate.



A. A. LE DOYEN.

CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-29.1913.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

ZSHEETS-SHEET A A. LE DOYEN.

CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 29,1913.

1,197,506. Patentd Sept. 5,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AALeDqyen;

1 my/m' UNITED STATES PATENT ornron.

ALFRED A. LE DOYEN, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR T0 TOIiLIVER 1?. WEST, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed November 29, 1913. Serial No. 803,761.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED A. LE DoYEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grates, of which the following is a specification.

An object of the invention is to provide a crate particularly adaptable for receiving and supporting bottles and like receptacles.

The invention embodies, among other features, a crate which includes a boX in which is contained and supported cross pieces and longitudinal strips which can be readily assembled prior to placing the same in the box and which will form rectangular compartments therein adapted to receive and support bottles or other containers.

The invention further embodies a crate in which the strips and cross pieces are preferably made of stamped metal and which can be cheaply constructed to perform the desired object.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crate completed; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the nest and the manner of connecting the strips and cross pieces; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the strips; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the cross pieces; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of one end of the crate, showing the manner of mounting the nest in the box.

Referring more particularly to the views, I disclose a'box 10 preferably of a rectangular construction and which is adapted to contain a nest 11 for receiving suitable bottles, jars or containers. The nest 11' comprises, more particularly, a series of spaced longi tudinal strips 12 and spaced cross pieces 13, with the longitudinal strips 12 extending through the cross pieces to form rectangular compartments 14, in which the bottles are adapted to be placed, it being thus seen that when the nest 11 is arranged in the box 10 and bottles or other containers are placed in the compartments 14, that the bottles or containers will be relatively spaced apart and will be supported in upright position by the strips and cross pieces 12 and 13 respectively, while at the same time the bottles, jars or containers can be readily removed from the nest and as easily replaced therein.

The strips 12 and cross pieces 13 are preferably formed of stamped metal and the strips 12 each consist of a strip-like body 15 having the upper and lower edges rolled to provide upper and lower longitudinal flanges 16, the ends of the said body being preferably extended beyond the ends of the flanges 16 and also rolled to form supporting members 17 At spaced distances on each body 15 and between the rolled flanges '16, pairs of elongated beads 18 are formed, the said beads being struck from the body, with one bead in each pair projecting over one face of the body and the other bead projecting in the opposite direction from the opposite face of the body, it being thus seen that the beads in each pair are only slightly spaced apart, the said pairs of beads 18 being formed at equal distances on the body and between the flanges 16, as mentioned heretofore.

The cross pieces 13 each consist of a single plate-like body 19 of greater width than the strip-like bodies 15, and the upper and lower edges of each plate-like body 19 are rolled to provide flanges 20, similar to the flanges 16, the ends of the plate-like body being reduced and extended beyond the flanges 20 and rolled to form supporting members 21, similar to the supporting members 17, but of greater width. At spaced distances on each plate-like body 19 and immediately below the upper flange 20 thereof, vertical slots 22 are formed, the said slots terminating in circular apertures 23 and in forming the said slots, pairs of ears 24 are formed, one ear in each pair being adapted to project from one face of the body and the other ear projecting in the opposite di rection from the other face of the body, it being thus seen that the ears in each pair will be spaced apart and will form the slots 22, the said pairs of cars on each body being also relatively spaced apart at equal distances.

Now in assembling the strips 12 and cross pieces 13 to form the nest 11, the first strip 12 is passed through the first slot 22 of the first cross piece 13 and the cross piece is arranged to extend laterally to the strip at the point of formation of the first pair of beads 18 on the strip, it being readily seen by re ferring to the views that the strip 12, when engaged with the cross piece 13 in the manner mentioned, is passed through the slot at an angle to the longitudinal plane of the cross piece until the beads 18 on the strip are rigid, after which the strip is swung into position so that the strip and cross piece will relatively extend at right angles, and it will thus be seen that when the strip and cross piece are arranged in the manner mentioned, the first pair of ears 24: on the first cross piece 13 will be adjacent the first pair of beads 18 on the strip 12 so that when the pairs of ears are bent inwardly toward the strip one of the ears will abut against one of the beads in the first pair of beads 18 and the other ear will abut against the oppositely extending bead in each pair of beads, thus forming a neat and effective joint between the strip and the cross piece. Similarly, a second cross piece 13 is mounted upon the strip in the same manner as the first cross piece and strip are connected and then also, similar strips are arranged to extend laterally through the cross pieces until the completed nest 11 is formed as shown in the Views.

The inner faces of the side and end walls of the box 10 are provided with vertically arranged grooves 25, 26, the grooves 25 being formed on the inner faces of the end walls and the grooves 26 being formed on the inner faces of the side walls. Now when it is desired to place the nest 11 in the box 10 so that the same will repose rigidly therein, the nest is bodily placed within the box so that the supporting members 17 formed on the ends of the strips 12 will register with the grooves 25, which will form guideways for the ends of the strips and, similarly, the supporting members 21 on the ends of the cross pieces 13 will register with the grooves 26 in the side walls of the box 10, said grooves forming guideways for the supporting members 21 so that when the nest is released the same will bodily drop into and repose upon the bottom of the box.

It will thus be seen that the strips 12 and cross pieces 13, when arranged in the manner described heretofore, with the strips and cross pieces extending relatively at right angles, the said strips being in parallel relation and the said cross pieces in parallel relation, the rectangular compartments 14 will be formed and will receive the bottles or other containers and support the same in spaced relation, it being further seen that when the nest 11 formed by the strips and cross pieces mentioned is disposed in the box 10 in the manner described, the bottles Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing Washington, D. G.

ing the nest, in relatively rigid position and the entire nest will be properly supported in the box 10 and rigid therein, by the supporting members 17 on the strips 12 and the supporting members 21 on the cross pieces 13 reposing in the grooves 25 in the end walls of the box 10 and the grooves 26 in the side walls of the box 10. It will, therefore, be seen that the nest can, at any time, be bodily removed from the box for the purpose of cleaning or repairing the same, and it will be further seen that the strips and cross pieces when constructed in the manner described can be readily assembled without the use of skilled labor and particularly tools.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a nest for crates, the combination with spaced parallel strips, of spaced parallel cross pieces supporting the said strips to form a series of rectangular compartments, each of the said strips consisting of a single piece of material, flanges formed by rolling the upper and lower edges of the said piece of material, supporting members on the ends of the said piece of material by projecting the said ends beyond the said formed flanges and bending the ends upon themselves, beads struck in opposite directions from the opposite longitudinal faces of said piece of material for the greater portion of its width and at relatively spaced distances thereon, flanges formed on the upper and lower edges of the said cross pieces by continuing the ends beyond the flanges of the cross pieces and rolling the same upon themselves, and ears struck from the opposite sides of said cross pieces, at a point wholly above its longitudinal center to provide vertical slots therein terminating in circular apertures,

the said strips passing through the slots of the cross pieces with the rolled flanges there of reposing in the circular apertures of the slots and the said ears extending transversely to the cross pieces and engaging the beads of the said strips along their inner edges to retain the said strips and said cross pieces in relatively rigid position. i

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED A. LE DOYEN.

Witnesses:

J. T. SIMS, J. F. MCDONALD.

the Commissioner of Eatents, 

